The newly named STEVE IRWIN, seen here out bound off Sorrento bound
for Auckland NZ then the Southern Ocean to defend the whales against
the Japanese whaling fleet ( Photo: Andrew Mackinnon )

Sea Shepherd vessel named in
honour of Steve IrwinFormer Scottish Fisheries vessel, the ROBERT HUNTER is named in
honour of famous Australian wildlife expert and television
personality...

Terri Irwin has granted the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
permission to rename its ship currently known as Robert Hunter in
honour of her late husband, Steve Irwin.

Captain Paul Watson, founder and president of Sea Shepherd and Terri
Irwin officially announced the new name for the ship Steve Irwin at a
press conference at 12:00 on December 5th at Victoria Docklands in
Melbourne, Australia.

Sea Shepherd said they were proud to partner with Terri Irwin to
launch Operation Migaloo as she and Steve have been world renowned for
their conservation work. Terri knows that Steve would have been
extremely honoured to be acknowledged in this way as he shared Sea
Shepherd's passion for saving whales.

Terri said: "Whales have always been in Steve's heart and in 2006 he
was investigating the possibility of joining the Sea Shepherd on part
of its journey to defend these beautiful animals."

The objective of Operation Migaloo is to intervene against illegal
whaling actions by the Japanese whaling fleet. Sea Shepherd say the
Japanese whalers are targeting endangered humpbacks and fin whales
along with 935 piked whales in the Southern Oceans Whale Sanctuary in
violation of a global moratorium on commercial whaling and they will
be killing many of these whales in the Australian Antarctic Territory.

"Steve Irwin's life demonstrated how one person can make a significant
difference in the world," said Capt Watson. "Steve wanted to come to
Antarctica with us to defend the whales and now he will be joining us
in spirit with his name emblazoned on the fastest and most powerful
whale protection ship in the world."

The vessel was originally the Scottish Fisheries vessel WESTRA, built
in 1975 by Hall, Russell and Co Ltd, Aberdeen. She was purchased by
Sea Shepherd in 2003 and renamed ROBERT HUNTER. The vessel hit the
headlines in February 2007 when was
struck by whaling vessel KAIKO MARU and suffered a three foot gash
to her hull.

The popular TV celebrity died in 2006 after his chest was fatally
pierced by a stingray barb.